Favourite Pie

We had friends to feed after a bank holiday walk and there was a late panic that there would not be enough food. For thirteen people, two stews and a mushroom lasagna (of which more later) might not necessarily stretch, especially as everyone would be more than usually hungry.

So we added in a favourite, and very simple, pie which has been a family stand by for years and which has never been considered other than plain and cheap food. Well, it was the favourite of the night and some even claimed never to have eaten it before.

So here is the recipe again - I have given it once but this is a little more detailed.

Corned Beef Pie

1 tin corned beef (preferably kept in the fridge)
1/2 onions chopped small
2 carrots chopped very small
Brown sauce, oxo and gravy browning

1. Slowly soften the onions and carrots in a little oil in a frying pan.
2. Then add some water, an oxo cube or equivalent stock, thicken with a little gravy browning and add a splodge of brown sauce (the magic ingredient).
3. Let this thicken into a gravy, being mindful of the size of your dish and, therefore, the amount you want.
4. Then add the cubed corned beef; turn the heat off.
5. Put the mixture into a pie dish and cover with 8 oz shortcrust. If you let the filling cool first you can make this in advance.

NB If you want to make the pastry yourself, just put 8 oz P flour and 4 oz butter, plus a pinch of salt,  into the processor, blend to fine crumbs, add 2 tbs water, blend til it starts to gather; turn out, rest, roll out. Or use your hands in the traditional way.

Once you are ready to cook the pie, brush with beaten egg, it really does improve the impact, and cook at No 6/hot oven for 30 mins or so till the filling is bubbling and the pastry is cooked.